The Afterthought
by Gigaswoo
Summary: Clementine and the remaining survivors are divided on whether Wellington or Howes is their best place for survival. Little do they know their story will be far more than a scope that small.


"Clementine, just… stay out of it." _Luke rested his hand on my shoulder as he looked at the ready to explode volcano of a conversation between one of my newest friends and one of my oldest ones. Nick sat to the right of me not really commenting, just looking nervously in front of him then decided to peer out of his window just avoiding the conflict… or at least trying to. _"I'm telling ya Wellington's our best bet! I'm not gonna listen to your batshit crazy idea of goin' back to the same place where we almost fucking died!" _I love snow. I always used to play in it as a kid. My parents, mom especially, would never let me go play in it without mittens, or my small blue ski hat or my winter coat. But even though we're surrounded by it, it's become more my enemy than my friend. AJ squirmed in my arms, he'd start crying soon. _"NO old man! You need to listen to suggestions and not just the ones rattling around in your thick fucking head!" _Kenny slammed a hand on the wheel and pointed an accusing finger at Jane while driving at 40MPH. He looked seriously pissed, I've never seen him like this since Ben. _"Says the one who claims to be a fuckin' loner! What the hell happened? You sure seemed to come forward about yourself so damn easily to Clem, and before that you came back right after you fuckin' ditched us! You are unpredictable and that makes you untrustworthy!" _AJ's pudgy little face squished together and his closed eyes started to shake along with his lips. Within a mere few milliseconds he let out the familiar infant wail that drew Nick's attention. He looked at him startled then slowly reverted back to his nervous expression though it shifted to a stoic neutral when he tried to not show what he was feeling. He eventually turned back to the window and peered out yet again. I turned to Luke and he gave me all I needed to know with his eyes. He didn't like what was going on but there was so little he could do about it. He squeezed my shoulder in an effort to make me feel better and I gave him my appreciation by smiling. He smiled back, as forced as it was it was worth it._

_At first Jane seemed stunned at Kenny's gesture but proved me wrong when she gave him more slack. _"Oh cut the alpha male, macho bullshit! You have no fucking right to know what I share with Clementine! Keep your own shit to yourself!" _Kenny quickly glared at Jane until he quickly focused back on the road. _"Hey man, watch the fucking road!" _Luke shouted out to Kenny to try and stop us from coming into a major collision, maybe even killing some poor survivor by accident. Does that really matter in this world anymore? Kenny seemed to ignore Luke at least verbally, but he seemed to be obeying as he's focusing more on the road and beginning to shoot back at Jane while keeping his eyes… oh sorry eye on the road. _"Course I have the right! You have no fucking idea what me and her went through! I know her, she knows me. Just because you shared a drink with her and saved our hides once or twice doesn't mean you get to try and make her your new fuckin sister!" _Jane clenched her fists now. I was sure she would hit him, and possibly get us all killed. _"You never even thanked me when I knifed that Russian! You think that maybe I get some appreciation for you being able to drive the fucking thing!?" _Kenny showed little body language as he stayed focused on driving, but his mouth showed a lot. _"Thanks a lot Jane! You fuckin' happy now!" _Unexpectedly, Luke must've finally got tired of the two clashing personalities and voices assaulting his ear drums along with AJ's wailing. _"Fuck's sake! Will you just-." _Jane cut him off. Realizing what happened Luke slumped back and gave up on trying to say anything, never letting go of my shoulder. _"Not really. It took you long enough!" _The speed crept up to 50. Nick seemed to notice the scenery shooting past with more speed than before. I saw him turn to Kenny with a frantic expression. _"Damn it old man, slow the fuck down!" _He must've been too frustrated to lighten his foot off the acceleration as he seemed to take his excessive force out on the pressure against the pedal. We were in a dangerous situation. Jane wasn't helping. _"You know there could be Baby formula back at Howes!"

"I ain't taking the goddamn chance!" _Jane sneered, I knew that with a look like that she'd low blow him, low blowing Kenny is so bad of an idea I felt dread creeping through my skin. _"I knew it! Me, Clem and the cabin group. We're all just dead weight to you. Is it your family? The wounded scarred warrior trying to save dead people?" _Kenny seemed to shake in a sudden jolt at the word "Family" the speed on the car seemed to lower but I doubt that will last long._ "Don't you fucking dare." _The words were sharp and direct with a shade of uncertainty and hurt. Luke noticed this and tried to defuse the situation. _"Jane I know you two have your problems but Jesus don't go that far." _She only looked at him for a split second with an unchanged expression but looked back at Kenny with a sudden smirk of satisfied petty victory. She hit a button, she knew it and she will keep pressing it. _"What about Sarita? At least Clem did her best to save her but where were you Kenny? Where were you?" _Kenny didn't get the same jolt but he seemed more on the hunched over side of posture. Trying to focus on the road but having a conflict of whether to keep looking at what's in front of him or what's emasculating him with words of accusing cruelty scrutinising his failure. He finally decided to give in and look at Jane with wide white eyes. Not the aggression he used to have but he was getting there. _"Damn you! I loved that woman. One more word about my family and I will _end _you!" _Nick looked at the bickering pair and mouthed at me to do something. He was right to do so, it was getting out of hand. _"Will you two just stop!?" _Jane only spared me a sideways glance but decided to press on. _"Everyone's afraid of you Kenny! That's why Bonnie, Mike and Arvo tried to abandon us. That's why I tried to leave! Everyone around you ends up dead! Clementine knows it, Sarita knew it, and I know it!" _Kenny finally gave in and turned to Jane with a swift turn of aggression. Not noticing the oncoming shape blocking the road. _"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" "Go to hell you son of a bitch!" _Without thinking I reflexed verbally. Even managing to shout over AJ's cries. _"LOOK OUT!" _Kenny looked back in front and panicked, immediately breaking the truck as it swerved in a perfect 360, returning us to the forward position and be met with the site of a build-up of cars blockading the road._

_Kenny rested his head don the wheel as he took a few deep breaths of relief. He rose up and looked around the truck. _"Is everyone alright?" _We all responded with varying confirmations, he then turned his attention to me and looked down at the bundle in my arms. _"Is AJ alright?" _I looked at the dark skinned new born. He still cried lightly but not wailing like before. _"Yeah he's fine". _Kenny turned his attention to the build-up and seemed to ponder on something, Jane looked impatient while Luke seemed to look anxious about something. Probably about what happened earlier. _"What the hell was that about?" _Kenny quickly turned to look at Luke with an annoyed grunt. _"Now's not the damn time kid. One of those cars might have diesel." _Jane looked at Kenny with a questioning look. Pretty much her default expression whenever it came to something related to Kenny. _"It's too dangerous outside." "We're running on fumes. We ain't got a choice. If I hear anything I'll holler just wait here." _Nick looked away from the window, deciding to leave with Kenny. _"I'll go with you." _Jane looked behind her at him, giving him a stoic expression while he sported a nervous one. _"No we all wait here. We don't need to lose 2 in case anything happens. Besides ever since Arvo took the rifle we don't have much in the way of protection." _Nick merely looked down, pondering the answer to her order until Kenny made a decision for him. _"Fine. I'll go by myself. You're actually right for once." _The door opened as a breeze of cold swished in making me shiver. He took one foot out into the snow with a crunch. _"Kenny I'm-"He_ wouldn't let her finish, he waved a hand in front of her and opened the door all the way. _"Forget it. Doesn't matter. Let's just get the diesel and go to Wellington." _Jane coldly looked at him as he got out. When he was about to close the door she made sure to mouth "Howe's" in response he simply slammed the door. Apparently not caring if any walkers heard us. Or maybe he just didn't think about that._

"I can't believe he just slammed the door like that." _Luke spoke up in concern. He now looked frantically out of his window and the rear one to look for what was probably walkers. He never made any warnings or sights of them. So we could be safe for now. _"I told you he's dangerous. A mad dog waiting for the right trigger." _Just to make sure if he was ok I looked at Nick. He had raised his head up some time ago and listened intently. When he was sure he had a conversational opening he entered it with a surprising defence for Kenny. _"The guy's lost his family. I mean give him a break." _Jane looked towards him with a questioning gaze, half lidded eyes that spoke of suspicion and distrust. _"We all lost family. Especially you, the only difference between us and him is that we let go and moved on. He hasn't." _Nick just shrugged in response and lowered his head back down to the ground in silence. Jane kept eyeing him for a few seconds until she looked back front through the windshield. Kenny was still out there, looking through the car fuel entrances one by one. At some point he even lightly slammed a fist against the light blue car in our way. No one wanted to speak of the consequences of what could happen if things took an unwanted turn. But I guess Luke thought someone had to. _"What if he doesn't find any diesel? What then?" _Jane looked worryingly at Luke, at least for a split second until she hardened her soft expression and tried to keep her "Tough girl" attitude for him and everyone else. _"We travel by foot. Even Kenny will agree to that, we won't have a choice." _Luke simply nodded in dismay and just lied back with his eyes closed. I don't know if she didn't notice or didn't care that I saw her but her face softened into something of a concerned look for Luke that ended with a light smile at his form as if she was eyeing a teddy bear. As much as she wanted to keep watching him she resigned herself to the reality of the situation as she has done so many times before. She turned her face back to the thick shell of neutrality. Sometimes I wondered if that was the mask or the soft face was the mask she put on for Luke. Maybe they both were and she had many more to use when necessary._

_Kenny must've made a discovery when he headed back. The snow almost entirely covered the windshield but I could make him out. We waited cautiously for what he might do next. The door to the driver's seat opened and he peered into the truck as the snow started to rage outside. _"I found one. I'll go siphon it but first we wait 5 minutes. I don't like the look of that blizzard." _We spoke nothing for a few seconds until Jane decided to make light of Kenny's choice to stay in and wait out the snow storm. _"Not like you to say something sensible_._" _Kenny looked at her with annoyance. _"Shut up." _Jane actually complied for once and scoffed turning her attentio0n out to her now covered window like Nick did._

_There was a grumble in my stomach, a painful sensation. The all too familiar feeling of hunger. _"You hungry Clem?" _Kenny kept his eyes in front of him but kept the small talk going. _"Well we all re. Fortunately we can last 40 days without food, did you know that?" _I nodded in response and I could tell he saw me because he looked through the interior mirror as he smiled. _"Well we can't last over 3 days without water. We might have to start eating the snow." _I chuckled in amusement but the others weren't so amused. They just kept thinking about how bad the situation really was or so I think that's what they were thinking. It was enough humour for me for one day honestly. All I had left was patience, my friends and what little supplies we had. But more especially the little bundle of blind innocence in my hands. I've never felt so unsure of something in my life since…. Lee._

Author's Note: You may be wondering why Luke and Nick are alive. Well because I think Luke has potential and Nick was a favourite of mine with an undeserved anticlimactic end. After some thinking I decided that Jane won't do that stupid thing with the baby and that Kenny won't do that stupid thing with the trying to kill her thing. Some characters from Season 1 will return.


End file.
